Monday, March 31, 2008

Dear Comrades, The NFPE Federal Secretariat has met on 29.03.2008 and discussed in detail on the recommendations of the 6th CPC. The Joint Circular released by the NFPE and the All India Unions is placed here under. The Circle Secretaries are requested to translate this Circular into their regional languages and give wide publicity.

The 6th Central Pay Commission has submitted a bunch of most retrograde and disappointing recommendations to the lower level Group D and Group C employees. The Pay Commission paid just lip sympathy on rendering justice but in effect had cunningly and cleverly applied only cosmetic effect to cover up its attempt of denial of justice to the workers, while it recommended maximum benefits to the higher up in the bureaucracy. NFPE and Confederation will take every effort to stand with the entirety of Central Government Employees including Railways and Defence and oppose with our total might at disposal to throw the retrograde recommendations to the dustbin.

COMMON ISSUES

The most blatant injustice is done to the Group D employees. In the name of elevating all Group D to the level of Group C, the Pay Commission has recommended to abolish the very Group D category itself from the Central Services. It wants all the existing 1,10,000 vacant Group D posts in different departments to be abolished and no recruitment to Group D should ever take place except on compassionate grounds with conditions. If the Government accepts this recommendation then the future of the entire three lakhs GDS in Postal Department will be totally doomed. The recommendation of the CPC for total outsourcing of Group D work through contractualisaion only mirrors its real face of liberalisation and globalisation.

Depressed Minimum Wage:The minimum level of salary at the entry level of Group D is kept very low as 5740/- including the quantum of 'Grade Pay' [a retrograde invention of the 6th CPC] and not Rs.6660/- as being published in the press and media. Only the matriculates who in future going to be recruited not as Group D but as Group C will alone start their career with Rs.6660/- as their basic pay. This is most despicable. The Staff Side demand for a need-based minimum wage based on 15th ILC norms viz., Rs.10,000/- is denied by mutilating the 15th ILC Norms by the Pay Commission only to deny any real wage hike to Group D at the bottom and all the other Group C employees above.

Even the application of the V CPC formula of NNP [Net National Product] would have ensured a minimum of Rs.7450/- at the entry level of Group D. To deny this the Pay Commission has invented the grade pay and abolition of Group D totally.

Irrational Grade Pay: The invention of Grade Pay by the CPC is a dangerous recommendation as it is aimed at introducing 'PRIS' [Performance Related Incentive Scheme] based wages in future.

Illogical Pay Band: The minimum of every scale right from 2550-3200 to 4500-7000 has not been evaluated rationally. As a result the existing gap between the minimum of different scales gets narrowed down. Vertical and horizontal relativities have been thus disturbed.

Rate of increment: The rate of increment is only 2.5% of the basic pay as against our demand for a minimum 5%. Despite the recommendation that the next increment will be on the cumulative amount of the earlier increment and basic pay, the gain is only very less. However arbitrarily fixing of July 1 as the increment date for all will result in denial of increment causing perennial loss including retirement benefit for many whose increment date falls between January to June 30.

Minimum Maximum Ratio: The minimum maximum ratio after the V CPC was 1:13. Now the 6th CPC has made it 1: 15.68 and thus further widened the gap between the Group D and the Cabinet Secretary.

Illusionary 40% Hike: Though the bunching of seniors and juniors is prevented and a kind of point-to-point fixation is ensured the declared net increase of 40% wages is only a delusion. The benefits derived out of 50% merger of DA from 1.4.2004 have been taken out while fixing the new scales by the 6th CPC. Thus reducing the real hike in wages to 28%. In addition, as the new scales are kept depressed, the real increase to many lower level officials is very meager.

End of Bonus, OTA etc: The Performance Related Incentive Scheme is recommended as a replacement to the existing Adhoc bonus, Productivity Linked Bonus, Over Time Allowance and Honorarium schemes.

New Index for DA: The 6th CPC further recommended to construct a separate cost of living index for Central Government Employees for payment of DA in future instead of the existing AICPI (IW) [All India Consumer Price Index (industrial Workers)]. In the meanwhile it has recommended continuing the existing formula with the base year 2001 till it is changed.

Lower level employees suffer most: The other lower level employees like Sorters, the LDCs, the Clerks, the Postal Assistants / Sorting Assistants, the TBOP PA/SA etc are awarded with most depressed scales. For example at the level of the TBOP PAs/SAs scale of pay in all Departments it can be seen that only a sum of Rs. 360/- has been added to the pre-revised scale of pay of 4500-125-7000 and the new scale is fixed as 4860-20200 with annual increment at the rate of 2.5%. The Staff Side demand for this category was a minimum of Rs.20,000/- as basic pay with Rs.1000/- as annual increment.

As far as the lower level Group C staff like Sorter, LDCs, the PA/SAs are concerned, these are all placed under the same pay scale of 4860-20200 with only a marginal difference of Grade Pay quantum @ Rs.1800/- for Sorters; 1900/- for LDCs; 2000/- for Clerks and Postmen/Mailguard; 2400/- for the PA/SAs and 2800/- for the TBOP PAs/SAs. Due to this the starting pay of these categories in future will be only Rs.6790/- for Sorters; 7210/- for LDCs; 7570/- for Postmen/Mailguard / Clerks; and 9360/- for PA/SAs.

Abolition of CCA: The abolition of CCA is another retrograde step. Though the Pay Commission says that by increasing the Traveling Allowance by 4 times it has compensated the loss on abolition of CCA, the reality is otherwise. Except for those above 5000-8000 scale for whom the Transport Allowance is fixed as 1600/- + DA on it the benefit is nil for others. For example the lower level employees those who are below the scale of pay of 5000-8000 in the pre-revised scale of pay would draw only Rs.400/- + DA on that amount in A1 and A Class cities and Rs.300/- + DA on that amount in other places. There is no justification to abolish the CCA in this background.

Reduction of Holidays: The CPC had further slashed the number of holidays from 17 to 3 by recommending that only three national holidays shall be closed holidays. But it has only increased the RH from 2 to 8 and no matching increase of CL and RH. The net loss is 8 days. It speaks about 5 days week to continue but did not take into account that the operative departments are functioning for 6 days in a week.

End of Advances: The Pay Commission wants the end of grant of interest bearing advances like HBA, Scooter Advance etc by the Government and recommended for grant of advances through Banks by Government subsidizing the rate of interest. This may cause problems in getting the loans for many staff.

No recommendation on ACP/Promotions: The CPC has not made any recommendation on the demand of the Staff side for three ACPs / Promotions at 10, 20 and 25 years of service for all cadres. Even the embargo in granting ACP in each cadre instead of individual employee [Promotees] has not been removed.

As usual Allowances doubled: Various compensatory allowances are as usual doubled. In the case of North East CG Employees are concerned the SDA would given if they are transferred to some other station in the North East from their present station. The Children Education Allowance and the Reimbursement of Tuition Fees are merged together and a sum of Rs.1000/- per month per child upto 2 children is recommended. Though the date of effect of revision of pay is recommended as 1.1.2006 the date of effect of all allowances is left to the discretion of the Government. As in the past the Government may take advantage of this and go for some prospective date of effect instead of 1.1.2006 to deny arrears on these allowances.

Women and Disabled:¨The Pay Commission gives some recognition for women and Disabled persons. The increase of maternity leave upto 180 days and recommendation for staggered working hours, special leave for child care, better accommodation like working women hostels etc for women provided.As far as staff with disabilities benefits like enhanced Casual Leave, special aids and appliances for facilitating office work, higher interest subsidy for automobile loans. Liberal flexi hours, higher rate of transport allowance for disabled women workers to take care of child till the age of two etc are recommended.

Commutation depressed: The conversion factor in granting commutation has been tightened resulting erosion of commuted value to the retiring employees.

CPC against improvement or modification: There is a catch in the whole that the pay commission stated that all the recommendations are to be treated as an organic whole as partial implementation will bring several anomalies and inconsistencies. This is to prevent any improved modification by the Government.

Prepare industrial action: NFPE shall explore all possibilities including industrial action under the banner of Confederation unitedly with the entirety of CG Employees to get these retrograde recommendations dropped or suitable modified.

POSTAL ISSUES:

The recommendations for abolition of the Group D would cause a serious blow to the promotional avenue of GDS. Moreover the job of Group D in Postal Department is very responsible one and therefore outsourcing or contractualisaion of this job would be dangerous. This cannot be accepted.

The Group D minimum scale of pay is very unjust and depressed.

The Postmen and Mailguard scale of pay is elevated to 3200-85-4900 scales. This is welcome and advancement as far as our demand is concerned. However the Pay Commission has depressed the replacement scale of 3200-4900 by fixing it at only 4860-20200 + 2000 Grade Pay.

The replacement scale for PA / SA cadre is amalgamated with all lower scales and kept depressed at 4860-20200 + 2400 Grade Pay. Only

The TBOP PA/SA scale of pay, which was 4500-7000, is also amalgamated with the scale of pay of PA and Postmen and LDC etc at the same level of 4860-20200 but with slightly higher Grade of Pay of Rs.2800 only in PB-1 Scale. However another 4500-7000 scale holders Junior Accountants in Postal A/cs appears to have been elevated to PB-2 scale of pay because of parity recommended between Secretariat and non-Secretariat organizations.

Though Pay Commission had unjustifiably denied existence of any anomalies in LSG and HSG-II pay scales, the long pending demand of higher scale of HSG-I and BCR/HSG-II is however stands addressed by its recommendations wherein the demand for 7450-11500 scale of pay for HSG-I has been recommended and the demand for grant of 6500-10500 to BCR/HSG-II though not directly granted also stands addressed to some extent by the amalgamated scale of pay of 8700-34800 + 4200 Grade Pay. Due to this the BCR/HSG-II officials get highest fixation benefit of 38.71% at the entry level and 21.77% at the maximum level. This 38.71% fixation benefit is highest amongst all PB-1 and PB-2 Pay Band categories. However in the general manner the Pay Commission keeps replacement scales for all those in the 7450-11500 and 6500-10500 depressed for the entire CG Employees.

The demand for higher scale of pay for PO & RMS Accountants is rejected in an unjustified manner. Their Special Allowance of 180/- is doubled as 360/- but not in converted into Special Pay even.

There is no mention about the key role played by the Supervisors of LSG, HSG-II and HSG-I in field offices like Post Offices, RMS offices, Administrative offices etc and no recognition by way of grant of supervisory allowances etc recommended. There is absolutely no difference between the officials who shoulder additional responsibilities by way of supervisory duties and the rest. The Pay Commission's approach to the whole issue is most disappointing.

As far as the Artisans of MMS is concerned the Technical Supervisors in the scale of pay of 4500-7000 are upgraded to 5000-8000 scale of pay and they are placed in the PB-2 new scale of pay of 8700-34800 +4200 Grade Pay corresponding with the pre-revised pay scale of 6500-10500. Artisans Grade I will be upgraded to the scale of pay of 4500-7000 and placed in revised scale of 4860-20200 + 2800/- Grade Pay. The Chargehand presently in 4500-7000 shall be merged with Artisan Grade I and placed in the same pay scale of 4860-20200 + 2800/- Grade Pay. This revised structure is advancement to Artisans of MMS as part of common category of staff in the central services.

The Drivers who are common category of staff will be placed in the corresponding pay scales for 3050-4590; 4000-6000; 4500-7000 only. However for the selection grade drivers in the scale of pay of 5000-8000, the merged pay scale of 5000-8000, 5500-9000 and 6500-10500 viz., the 8700-34800 + 4200 Grade Pay.

The MPCM Machine Allowance of Rs.100/- stands abolished by the Pay Commission.

The System Administrators who play a very vital role in the field ofhandling the technology and the Marketing Executives who play a crucial role in bringing more postal traffic are given a raw deal. No recognition at all of their services by the pay commission.

The Postal Dispensaries shall be merged with CGHS and all staff and Pensioners are tobe allowed the CGHS benefit.

FUTURE COURSE OF ACTION

Comrades,

There have been spontaneous demonstrations all over the country at the call of the Confederation immediately after the submission of pay commission's recommendations.

The retrograde recommendations are to be modified. The Staff Side shall demand a bilateral discussion and settlement on all these issues. There is no question of allowing abolition of Group D or accepting the low minimum wages for them. There shall be proper elevation to every hierarchical cadre from the Group D onwards. If the Government is reluctant to modify then there is no course before us except to launch industrial action.

The Confederationleadership is undertaking interaction with the entire leaders of JCM National Council including Railways and Defence for mutual exchange of opinion for forging a common approach and a common united platform of struggle;

National Executive of the Confederation of Central Government Employees will meet on 27.03.2008 in New Delhi to analyse the entire scenario arising out of its interaction with the Staff Side JCM and also with the Government Authorities and the course of action to be undertaken by the Confederation

The All India Executives of all Federations including NFPE will sit along with the National Executive of the Confederation on 28.03.2008 in New Delhi to finalise our common approach and the agitational programmes

The Federal Executive of NFPE will meet on 29.03.2008 to endorse the decisions of Confederation on the common approach and also to finalise our approach on all Postal Issues in connection with the Pay Commission Recommendations and the Programme of action to be launched in consultation with the Postal JCA;

The All India Central Working Committees of NFPE Affiliates will be meeting immediately thereafter in April - May 2008 to plan the implementation of agitational programme of action. The AIPEU Group 'C' Union has notified its CWC in New Delhi on April 30 – May 1, 2008. The AIPEU Postmen and Group D will conduct its CWC in Patna in the first fortnight of May 2008.

Dear Comrades,

The National Federation of Postal Employees and all its affiliated Unions and Associations calls upon the entirety of our rank and file leadership to prepare for the dogged battles ahead. The Circle Secretaries are also requested to translate the contents of this Circular in their regional languages and circulate among all the members through the Divisional / Branch Unions and endorse a copy to their respective CHQs.